Media watchdog to impose age limits on news bulletins

SAKARYA

The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) is set to introduce age restrictions on news bulletins, RTÜK President Ebubekir Şahin has announced.

Speaking at Sakarya University, Şahin explained, “We will put signs indicating age limits on news bulletins. For example, those under the age of 13 or 18 should not watch certain segments or ‘This content contains violence.’”

RTÜK has traditionally refrained from interfering heavily in news broadcasts, allowing channels to operate within established guidelines, Şahin said. However, he indicated that recent developments necessitated a more stringent approach.

“It got out of hand, and now we have made a principled decision at RTÜK. We will implement +18 and +13 signs according to broadcast time. If content exceeds these limits, a new penalty system will be enforced,” he stated

The proposed regulation has been submitted to the Presidency for approval and will be implemented once published in the Official Gazette.

Şahin acknowledged the reluctance with which RTÜK approached this measure and stated: “This is not something very exciting for us. It is not something to boast about. But we must ensure our children are not exposed to inappropriate content.”

Şahin also addressed broader regulatory issues, highlighting RTÜK’s efforts to impose penalties on daytime programs and TV series that violate standards.

“As RTÜK, we are on a fine line. We are here about daytime programs because we can't afford this anymore. Either they will come to their senses or we will do what is necessary.”

“The important thing is to do our duty as RTÜK, and we expect producers and views to do theirs as well,” he emphasized.